Removable magazine unit for bolt action rifle



Aug. 29, 1961 c. M. FLORENCE REMOVABLE MAGAZINE UNIT FOR BOLT ACTION RIFLE Filed June 19, 1959 INVENTOR. 60 05 M fZaez/vaz Arraezvzy United States Patent 2,997,803 Patented Aug. 29, 1961 tice 2,997,803 REMOVABLE MAGAZINE UNIT FOR BOLT ACTION RIFLE Clyde M. Florence, 204 E. Heron St., Aberdeen, Wash. Filed June 19, 1959, Ser. No. 821,403 1 Claim. (Cl. 42-18) This invention relates to firearms, and it more particularly relates to rifles of the bolt action type not provided with removable magazines.

Bolt action rifles generally used by hunters are of the Springfield or Mauser types. In such guns, it is necessary to place each cartridge in the firing position in order to remove it from the magazine, such removal or ejection being in the same manner as a fired case. This is not only highly dangerous because of the risk of accidental firing, but tends to damage both the ejected cartridge and the rifling of the gun. This is due to the fact that when the cartridge is ejected it is very likely to be thrown upon the ground. This not only may deform the bullet but also encrusts the cartridge with dirt and grit. Unless this dirt and grit is removed by careful wiping of the cartridge, it will mar the rifling of the barrel of the gun when it is subsequently fired.

In addition, the hunting laws of many states prohibit the carrying of loaded guns in automobiles or other vehicles, This means that often the same cartridges must be loaded and unloaded without firing. As a result, their bullet noses become so burred and deformed that their accuracy is seriously affected.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the above difliculties by providing a bolt action rifle assembly where it is not necessary to pass the unfired cartridges into the firing chamber in order to eject them.

This invention is particularly intended for high power big game cartridge types of rifles, and particularly the following types of rifles: Mauser, Springfield, Winchester Mod. 70, Remington Mod. 721, Remington Mod. 722, and Enfield, Mod. 1917, and of course also for any other rifles utilizing the same principles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bolt action rifle assembly wherein unfired cartridges can be inserted and removed without any damage to the cartridges or any portion thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bolt action rifle assembly wherein a removable magazine unit is provided; such magazine unit being easily attached to the standard type bolt action rifles without the necessity for any further modification of the rifles.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved bolt action rifle and magazine assembly, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efi'icient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a magazine and magazine holding unit embodying the present invention and adapted to be easily secured to the standard type bolt action rifle.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the magazine of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an opposite end elevational view taken on line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the latch mechanism.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a magazine and trigger guard unit, generally designated 10, comprising an integral casting including a magazine retaining housing 12, open at top and bottom, and from the forward lower end of which extends an attaching plate 14 having a lightening recess 16 and an upstanding attachment bolt holding socket 18. At the rearward lower end, the housing 12 is connected with a plate 20 having the trigger bow 22 depending therefrom. A slot 24 is provided in plate 20 for receiving the trigger of the rifle (not shown), this slot 24 intersecting a lightening recess 26 at the top of the plate 21 The rearward end of plate 20 is provided with an apertured socket 28 for receiving an attachment bolt while, at the forward end of the plate 20, adjacent the housing 12, there is provided a latch means 30. This latch means 30 comprises a latch body or plate 32 pivoted at 34 to the opposite sides of plate 20 defining an aperture 36 in the forward end of plate 20.

The latch plate 32 is provided with a depending, rearwardly-inclined finger 33 extending through the aperture 36 into the space encompassed by trigger bow 22. The plate 32 is also provided with an upper finger 40 at its rear above the finger 38. This finger 40 is provided with a spring guide pin 42 over which is engaged a coil spring 44 bearing on the bottom wall of recess 26 of plate 20.

Within the housing 12 is releasably secured a magazine, generally designated 46, which is open at the top and closed at the bottom by a wall 48 having a laterally-projecting rim or lip 50. The rear wall of the magazine is cut away at its top as at 51, to permit the feeder mechanism of the gun to enter and push out the uppermost cartridge. Slots 52 are provided at the front wall of magazine 46 just above rim 50 for the purpose of receiving complementary, inwardly-extending projections 53 on the housing 12 when the magazine is in place.

Bearing on and secured under lips 52' on the bottom wall 48 of the magazine 46 is the lower portion of a reversely-bent leaf spring 54 having superimposed portions connected by reverse elbows 56. The uppermost elbow 56 is seated in a shoulder formed at one end of a bottom recess 53 on a follower 60 while the uppermost free end of the spring 54 is releasably engaged in a socket 62 at the other end of recess 58. By means of this construction and arrangement, the follower 60 is constantly but resiliently urged upward.

The follower 60 is provided with a curved detent 64 at its top, this detent 64 serving as a lateral guide for the lowermost cartridge in the stack held in the magazine on top of the follower 60. In order to prevent complete ejection through the open top by the spring 54, partially overlying curved flanges 66 extend from either upper edge of the magazine 46. A slot 68 is provided in the rear wall of magazine 46.

The rear wall of housing 12 is provided with an elongated slot through which extends the forward end of latch plate 32. The latch plate 32 is resiliently retained in this position by spring 44 bearing on plate 20 and urging the plate 32 forwardly around its pivot 34. The plate 32 is provided with upper and lower lips 70 and 72 respectively, these lips 70 and 72 normally projecting through the elongated slot in the rear wall of housing 12.

To insert the loaded magazine 46 into the housing 12, the finger 38 is pressed to move the latch plate 32 back and the magazine 46 is inserted through the bottom of the housing 12 and pushed upwardly into position. Then the latch is released. When so released, the lower lip 72 enters into slot 68 of magazine 46 while the lip- 70 bears against the rear wall of the magazine and urges it forwardly under the force of spring 44, so that the projections 53 on the forward wall of housing 12 enter into 3 slots 52 of the magazine 46 while the forward edge of rim 50 of the magazine is held in a recess 74 formed in the forward undersurface of the plate 14.

To remove the magazine 46, the latch finger 38 is again depressed to free it from the magazine 46. The magazine is then pulled down with a slight backward motion and it immediately falls out.

It is apparent from the above description, that in order to load the gun, it is merely necessary to insert the magazine and in order to unload the gun, it is merely necessary to remove the magazine. The cartridges themselves are never handled or even touched after being inserted into the magazine so that they can never become damaged or dirty.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

A readily attachable magazine attachment unit for use in a bolt action rifle comprising a generally rectangular magazine housing open at top and bottom, and oppositely extending connecting plates integrally connected to opposite ends of said housing, each of said plates having an attachment bolt receiving socket means arranged to be connected to the stock of the rifle and one of said plates having'a trigger-bow and a slot for reception of the trigger of the rifle, a latch plate pivotally connected to said lastmentioned connecting plate, spring means biasing said latch plate around its pivot in one direction, an operatmagazine having an open top partially enclosed by opposed flanges on the opposite edges defining said open top, said means on said magazine comprising a slot in the Wall area of the magazine adjacent the latch plate, said slot being adapted to receive one of the lips on the latch plate while the other lip bears against the said wall area of said magazine, the magazine having a slot means on the opposite wall area to receive a projection on one of said connecting plates and to be releasably engaged therewith under the resilient pressure of the spring means acting on said other lip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 455,514 Mauser July 7, 1891 506,322 Lee Oct. 10, 1893 1,350,619 Payne Aug. 24, 1920 1,413,109 Feederle Apr. 18, 1922 2,081,235 Hillyard May 25, 1937 2,685,754 Crittendon et al Aug. 10, 1954 2,875,544 Krieger Mar. 3, 1959 

